COMMANDO NINJA Review – A Fun And Brutal 1980s Throwback
David Gelmini
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Starring Eric Carlesi, Philippe Allier, Stéphane Asensio
Directed by Benjamin Combes
It’s no exaggeration to say that Commando Ninja, which can be viewed here, is soaked with ’80s nostalgia. ‘Soaked’ might not even be the right word. This is a film which drips ‘80s nostalgia out of its eyeballs. It comes as no surprise to see producer James Secker’s name attached, because he also directed The Summoner, another ‘80s throwback which we rather enjoyed. Commando Ninja, however, was directed by Benjamin Combes, who clearly shares a fondness for the decade of video arcades and glitzy pop music.
As you may have guessed from the title, Commando Ninja owes a great deal to the 1985 Schwarzenegger cult classic. Both films feature a former special forces veteran having to rescue his kidnapped daughter, except this time, the veteran has also been trained in the ways of the ninja. So he’s pretty handy with a katana, as his enemies soon find out. Without going into spoiler territory, there are also some sci-fi elements thrown in for good measure.
Despite being primarily set in the United States, Commando Ninja was filmed in France, with the predominantly French cast then having their voices dubbed over in a cheesy fashion for comedic effect. If you grew up watching foreign films with poor dubbing, this will probably bring a smile to your face, although if you were hoping for serious performances, you might want to look elsewhere. The visibly choreographed fight sequences and over the top gore effects are also bound to satisfy those of you who are tired of PG-13 martial arts flicks. It also goes without saying that the soundtrack is every bit as exhilarating as the rest of the film.
Needless to say, if you’re not big on cheesy ‘80s nostalgia, you probably won’t have a good time with Commando Ninja. If, however, you’re looking to bathe in everything that made the ‘80s such a great time to be alive, then you’ve come to the right place. It may not say anything profound about the nature of the universe, but Commando Ninja is still one hell of a good time.
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Commando Ninja
Summary
It may be a little too silly for some, but those with a sense of nostalgia for the 1980s will love Commando Ninja.
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